[Backhousepro]

I did it in 2004 — however, the album was all electronica, which eliminated the reference points of traditional rock recording, hence no unsatisfying performances on instruments that I am not as well-versed on. The nice part was mixing it — I didn't have to explain why certain musical elements should be brought into the foreground as opposed to being left in the background where they didn't belong — it's happened when I trusted other people to mix — not that they weren't talented, but they didn't know what I had in mind when I composed the pieces. However, sometimes a different perspective makes for a mix with excellent ideas that I wouldn't have thought of, so there's advantages to both processes. As such, I've hit upon a mixing strategy that includes both — I let my friend, who's a very talented engineer and mixer have at the songs by himself first, then I get involved to fine-tune the mixes from a musical standpoint in terms of harmonic balances, voice-leading, transitions of melody carried from one instrument to another (sometimes a bass line isn't just a bass line), and etc.

The experience taught me many things; the most important lesson being that music, like sex, is better when done with partners.

-B-